At a meeting of the FIA Rally Commission, the ERC has moved to alter regulations regarding tyres; with the changes taking effect from Ypres Rally, Belgium.
It dictates that 20 sets of tyres will be available for the rally, with 4 sets available to teams pre-rally events such as shakedown, practice and qualifying.
Along with this, the hand cutting of tyres which has previously been used to increase grip, is now forbidden for 18" wheeled cars. The technique remains banned for two wheel drive cars.
François Ribeiro, motorsport development director for Eurosport Events, said: “The ERC tyre regulations were far too expensive. We want the ERC’s open tyre competition to remain, but we had to do something to drastically cut costs for the teams.
"With six new tyres allowed after each service park, we had a situation where teams were running 36 to 42 tyres for 250 kilometres of stages, which was economic nonsense given the endurance capability of new tyres.
"We have consulted with the teams, rally organisers and the tyre manufacturers and proposed a tyre restriction plan which the FIA Rally Commission has rubber-stamped."
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